Improvement in car-couplings



2 Sheets--Sheet 1, G. L. PEABODY.

Improvement in Car-Couplings.

$130,238. Patented Aug. 6,1872.

2 Sheets--Sheet2 G. L. PEABODY.

\mprovement in Car-Cduplings. I

N0. 130,238. Patented Aug. 6,1872.

[UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE L. PEABODY, on BUXTON, MAINE.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 130,238, dated August 6, 1872.

To whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. PEABODY, of Buxton, in the county of York and State of Maine, have invented a new and useful Improved Car Shackle; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which is made a part of this specification, in which Figure 1, Plate 1, shows a top view of one draw-head, with my improvement therein, part broken out so as to show the operating parts; Fig. 2, Plate 1, side elevation of same with a part of the side of the draw-head broken out, and showing the method of ,operation. Fig. 1, Plate 2, shows a side elevation of a portion of a car to illustrate description of brake used in my invention, and to show manner of operating the same; Fig. 2, Plate 2, same, to show method of separating or unshackling a car when it is thrown or runs off from the track. Fig. 3, Plate 2, shows face or side view of the device for unshackling a car which is thrown from the rail.

My invention relates to a new and improved car-coupling and to a certain new method of operating the same. My invention consists, first, of the combination of certain devices for shackling cars; second, of the combination of said devices with a brake or device for disconnecting said cars; and, third, of a combination for separating cars or parts of a train of cars when one car or more runs off or is thrown oil" the rail.

I will first describe the coupling or the devices containedwithin and upon the draw-head and their operation. (See Figs. 1 and 2, Sheet 1.) These consist of a tongue, at, pivoted at b; two side flaring springs, c,- a spring, d, pressing down on the ton gue a head-piece or butt, 0; a bolt, f, by which the head-piece and the tongue are held in the aperture of the drawhead. The tongue has a spear or V shaped head or end, h. The tongue at is raised for unshackling by a bell-crank lever, i, pivoted'at 7, with one arm thereof projecting through the bottom of the draw-head, as shown at Fig. 2, Plate or Sheet 1. Unshackling of the two tongues a a, as seen in Fig. 1, Plate 1, is effected by throwing up one of the two, so that the head of one slips up off and above the other. This is illustrated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2. The raising is efiected by the bell-crank lever 43, the motion of which is also illustrated in Fig. 2, Plate 1. The spring d keeps the tongue down in its place. This spring is held by the pivot f and the top of the inside of the draw-head, as seen in Fig. 2, Plate 1. The springs c 0 guide the tongues when each enters the draw-head of the other in coupling, (see Fig. 1, Plate 1,) and aid tokeep them united when thus coupled or locked. The pivot b allows of the rising and falling of the tongue at. The bolt f holds the devices which are attached to the head-piece e. The bell-crank lever 2' lifts the tongues for unshackling, and when allowed to drop back, so that the arm within the draw-head is horizontal, (see Fig. 2, Plate 1,) it permits the tongue a to drop down horizontal.

Fig. 1, Plate 1, shows the manner of looking the two tongues. Fig. 1, Plate 2, shows the brake on a common platform-car. 7c is the brake. It is set on the platform attached thereto by any convenient means and at any proper place, pivoted at l, and has a hooked end m, which passes in behind the arm of the bell-crank lever t that projects down out of the draw-head on the lower side thereof. Pull back or toward the car on the handle of the brake is and this motion raises the tongue a and so unshackles this draw-head from the one next.to it, or with which it" had been coupled. When It is released the tongue at will drop or be pushed down by the force of the spring at, Figs. 1 and 2, Plate 1.

Fig. 2, Plate 2, shows the method of unshackling a car which is thrown off the rail. It is effected by the combination of the vertical lever or arm a, lever 0, and bell-crank lever i, already referred to. The lever 0 is pivoted at p and extends from the arm or lever a to the bell-crank lever t in the drawhead.

The operation is thus: When the car is thrown from the track the widened or hood part 1' of the lever or arm n will strike on the rail, when the car is 0% and the wheels lower than the rail. This will push up the lever to and so tip the horizontal bar 0, drawing down the forward end 8, which pushes down and forward the lower arm of the bell-crank lever 2' neogaes i, and thus lift the tongue a and unshackle it, as in-the other case, the Whole being done by the contact of r with the rail, as represented at t.

The method of the interlocking of thelower end of the brake is with the bell-crank lever i is seen at A. That of the locking of 0 with the bell-crank lever is seen at B.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination, in the draw-head G, of the tongue a, spring d, springs a, pivot b, and bell-crank lever i, as herein set "forth, and op- 7 erating by the upward motion of the tongue to, as described.

2. The combination of the tongue a, spring cl, springs a, joint I), bell-crank lever 'i, and of the brake k, made and operating as set forth.

3. In combination with the tongue a, spring 2), spring 0 and pivot b, and bell-crank lever "i, operatin g as described Within the draw-head G, the lever 0 and arm u, made as described.

' GEORGE L. PEABODY.

Witnesses:

CHARLES E. WELD, EDWARD PEABODY. 

